No Smoker? No Problem! Chopped Brisket Sandwiches
Chopped Brisket Recipe
- 4-4.5 pounds beef brisket
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika ((or sweet paprika + 2 tsp liquid smoke))
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 18 ounces spicy bbq sauce ((Texas-style))
- 8 sandwich rolls ((I used brioche buns.))
- 1 cup sliced dill pickles
- In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, paprika, salt, and all spices together. Rub the spice blend over the entire surface of the brisket.
- Set out a large 6-8 quart slow cooker. Place the brisket in the slow cooker, cover, and set on high for 6-7 hours, or on low for 11-13 hours.
- Once the brisket is fork-tender (shreddable) place it on a cutting board and slice it into thin strips, against the grain. Then chop the brisket strips into fine pieces.
- Move the chopped beef brisket back into the slow cooker. Add the spicy bbq sauce to the slow cooker, and stir the chopped beef, juices, and bbq sauce together.
- Cover and slow cook until ready to serve. *Give it at least 30 minutes, but the longer the beef cooks in the sauce the better.
- When ready to serve, scoop the chopped beef onto the buns and top with pickles.
My crock pot chopped brisket recipe is one I absolutely love for tender, smoky, and sweet-spicy BBQ flavor. I slow cook beef brisket with bold spices and barbecue sauce, then shred it into juicy, flavorful bites. This easy recipe is packed with rich BBQ flavor and makes the perfect comfort food for sandwiches, tacos, or plates.
Abigail – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Loves it!!!! So easy and taste like it came from a real bbq place I have a smoker and couldn’t get it to come out this good thanks for sharing.
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
Incredible Flavor – This recipe makes beef that is smoky, sticky, slightly sweet, fatty in a good way, dripping with sauce, melt-in-your-mouth, too-wet-for-the-bun-so-you-better-eat-fast awesomeness! My family loves it because even though it’s made in a crockpot, it tastes like roadside barbecue.
Practically Foolproof – This is a true “all day” crock pot recipe. You really can’t over-cook it… The longer it cooks, the more tender it becomes.
Perfect to Make Ahead – Like my drine brine brisket, hopped BBQ Beef Brisket is a great make-ahead meal. I actually think, as with most saucy dishes, the flavor improves over time. You can cover and refrigerate it into crock, then reheat it later.
Key Ingredients and Tips
Beef brisket – If you get a piece with a large slab of fat on it, you can trim off some of the fat, but don’t remove it all! You don’t want the spicy chopped BBQ to be oily, but fat = flavor.
Brown sugar – To make the spice blend, I always start off with some brown sugar for a touch of sweetness to balance out the rest of the smoky spices.
Smoked paprika – For that deep and smoky BBQ flavor, smoked paprika is a must! Plus, it gives that gorgeous tint of orangey-red to the brisket.
Ground cumin – I like to add a little ground cumin to the spice blend because it has just the right amount of earthiness and warmth.
Garlic and onion powder – For some mild sweetness and a serious boost of savory flavors, this combo is a must!
Cayenne pepper – Just a pinch of cayenne pepper adds just the right amount of heat, and it’s not enough to overpower the rest of the flavors.
Spicy bbq sauce – For a true “spicy chop” brisket sandwich, you’ve got to use a spicy Texas-style sauce. I personally like Stubb’s Spicy or Sweet Heat.
How to Make
printable form at the bottom of the post.
Season the brisket – The first thing I do is make the spice blend in a bowl by mixing up the brown sugar, smoked paprika, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Then, I rub that mix all over the brisket.
Cook – When the brisket is coated with the spice rub, I place it into a slow cooker and set it on high for 6-7 hours.
Slice and chop – Now that the kitchen is smelling INCREDIBLE, it’s time to check on that brisket. When it’s fork-tender, I place it onto a cutting board and slice it first into really thin strips, and then into small pieces.
Cover in sauce – I transfer the chopped brisket back into the slow cooker and douse it in spicy bbq sauce.
Slow cook – I let that cook for about 30 more minutes. That’s just enough time for the meat to soak up that delicious, sweet, and spicy sauce.
Serve – I love to serve this brisket over rolls, and top them off with sliced pickles!
Recipe Variations
Less spicy – Feel free to omit the cayenne pepper from the dry rub blend.
BBQ sauce – Really, you can use whatever sauce you like! This recipe works just as well with smoky mesquite, sticky-sweet, hickory bourbon, or other barbecue sauce you prefer.
Honey – For a slightly sweeter version, drizzle some honey in with bbq sauce.
